Epilepsy Awareness Month - March

News

A new study published in Neurology by Dr. Neda
Bernasconi and colleagues, reveals that patients with
medication-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), have progressive
atrophy, or loss of cells, in some regions of the brain. This
cortical atrophy is distinct from normal aging and likely
represents seizure-induced damage. Whether recurrent
epileptic seizures induce brain damage has been debated and until
now, has only been evaluated in a few studies involving patients
with seizures well controlled by medication. Dr. Bernasconi and
colleagues used sophisticated MRI techniques to measure cortical
thickness on multiple consecutive scans from the same individual.
Their findings of the cumulative nature of atrophy underlies the
importance of earlier surgical treatment in this group of
patients.

Stress and the onset of adult epilepsy:

A new study published in the March issue of journal
Epileptic Disorders conducted by Sheila Koutsogiannopoulos
and colleagues, explores factors such as life stressors that may
influence the timing of the onset of epilepsy in adults. All
patients in the study reported significant stressful life events in
the 12 months prior to their first seizure. Recognizing precursors
to a first seizure may not only improve understanding of the onset
of the epilepsy but, may also give patients possible control over
subsequent attacks. Recent studies have indicated that patients are
more likely to succeed at managing their seizures if they recognize
their own seizure triggers. Early awareness can facilitate
avoidance of high-risk situations and the use of
non-pharmacological interventions, such as relaxation and stress
management techniques.

Epilepsy is a physical condition characterized by sudden, brief
changes in how the brain works. It is a symptom of a neurological
disorder - a disorder that affects the brain and shows itself in
the form of seizures

Approximately 1-2% of the Canadian population has epilepsy.
This includes people who take anticonvulsant drugs or who have had
a seizure within the past 5 years.

Each day in Canada, an average of 42 people learn that they
have epilepsy.

A seizure may appear as a brief stare, an unusual movement of
the body, a change in awareness, or a convulsion. A seizure may
last a few seconds or a few minutes.

Epilepsy may result from a variety of causes. These
include:

- Malformations
of brain development

- Head injury
that causes scarring to the brain tissue

- High fever and
prolonged convulsions during early childhood

- Trauma at
birth

- The result of
a stroke or tumor

In almost one third of patients, seizures cannot be controlled
despite the best possible medications.

In these patients, surgical resection of the brain area causing
seizures is presently the only effective treatment in controlling
seizures and improving quality of life.

MNI and Epilepsy:

· The Montreal
Neurological Institute (The Neuro) has been at the forefront of
epilepsy treatment and research for three quarters of a
century.

· Dr. Wilder
Penfield and his team developed the “Montreal Procedure,” a
surgical approach that explores the brains of epilepsy patients
while they are awake and under local anesthetic in order to find
the precise tissue causing the seizures and to minimize the risks
of surgery.

· Today,
scientists at The Neuro study the genetic factors of epilepsy and
epileptic syndromes, use EEG to monitor the electrical
manifestations of epileptic seizures, and also treat the
psychiatric aspects of epilepsy.

· Brain imaging
techniques developed at The Neuro have greatly contributed to the
understanding of causes and consequences of epilepsy. Importantly,
they have facilitated significantly epilepsy surgery by unveiling
brain lesions that are not seen by standard radiological
methods.

· The Neuro’s
Epilepsy Clinic sees about 1500 patients per year and provides both
in-patient and out-patient evaluation and treatments.

· The Neuro’s
Epilepsy Program has a multi-disciplinary team that includes
epileptologists, neurosurgeons, nurses, neuropsychologists,
neuropsychiatrists, social workers, EEG technologists, nurse
clinicians and case managers.

· The Epilepsy
team works closely with our community partner Epilepsy Montreal
Metropolitain in providing monthly support group meetings at The
Neuro.